Floor-laying tool.



L. C. CULP.

FLOOR LAYlNQ TOOL. APPLICATION FlLED APR. 26,1916.

v1,210,277. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I L axle CT Cal '11,

L. C. CULP.

FLOOR LAYING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. we.

Patente Dec. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

aa wwtoz UNITED sTArEs PATENT OFFICE.

noxnny 0. com or DEER iaivnn, Mimmsorm I ZELOOR-LAYINGTOOL.

ToaZZ whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, LoxLnY "GULF, a citizen of the United States, residingat Deer River, in the county of Itasca and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Floor-Laying Tools, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to floor laying tools and has for its chief characteristic topro vide a device of this characterwhich is particularly useful for laying the last three or four boards adjacent the base board, although the tool may be easily and conveniently used for laying the boards at any other portionsof the floor.

I Another important characteristic of this invention is to'p'rovide a device of the above described character having means for look ing the tool against movement during the clamping operation, said means being adjustably mounted upon the tool so as to permit various adjustments of the tool when laying the boards adjacent the base board.

Another object of this invention is toprovide a device of this character containing the desirable features of simplicity and durability, the/same being so constructed as to bring the fioor boards in proper engagement with the adjacent boards.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this description, the means for holding the tool against movement during the clamping operation being provided with spurs to detachably receive a protecting plate whereby the lever will not injure or deface the base board during the use of the tool. a

Other objects of the invention will appear as the specification is read in connection With the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the tool as applied to the sections of flooring ad: jacent the base board. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig; 4 is a transverse section taken on the line i=4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the free end of the lever.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates an elongated base which is formed of any suitable material such as metal or the like and which is provided upon its upper side with a longitudinally extending sleeve 2, the same being arranged at the transverse medial portion of the base 1 and co extending with the same. The base 1 has its upper face formed with a longitudinally Specification of Letters Patent.

provide the bifurcated end 6 of the sleeve 2,

the upper edges of the bifurcatedportion'being provided with parallel spaced ears" 7, the upper edge of the ears being preferably of arcuate formation; I 1 7 The T-sha'ped slot 5' is adapted to receive a draw bar 8' which is substantially 'T- shap'ed in cross section to 'confor'mto the Patentedlbec. 26,1516. np ncafionaiea April-2s, 1916. Seria1No.93-,6 93.

contour of the slot, thei-nner end of the draw bar adapted to normally lie within the bifurcated end '6 of the sleeve 2. The remaining end of the draw bar is adapted to project fromthe basev and sleeve and is provided with a shoulder 9 which is'adaptedto engage the board to be clamped in position as will be hereinafter described. Thefinner end of the drawbar is providedwith a racked surface lOon its upper side. EX- tending transversely through the bifurcated end 6 of the sleeve 2 is'a'rshaft 11 which is in this instance bolt, the same being provided with the usual threaded end to receive a nut 12. Journaled uponthe shaft 11 and arranged between the ears 7 is a spur gear 13 which is adapted to'engage the rackedsurface 10 of the draw bar 8, whereby upon oscillationo-f the gear, the draw bar will be moved within the slot as will be understood. The spur gear 13 is provided upon it"speripheral edge with a 7 radial extension 14 which is adapted'to receive a: handle 15, the handle serving'to oscillate the gear tomove the draw bar. I To look the gear against movement in one directionand consequently the draw bar, I have formed the upper edge of one of the ears 7 with a series of teeth 16 which are'ada pted to be engaged by a pawl 17 pivotally carried by the extension 14.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that upon placing the tool in active po sition, or in other .words, bringing the shoulder 9 of the draw bar 8 into engagement with the board to be clamped into position with the adjacent" boards, upon movingthe lever downwardly toward the base of the tool, the spur gear 18 will be rotated to cause the draw bar to be drawn inwardly into the slot 5 whereby, the board will be clamped to the adjacent board as will be understood. The handle 15 having been refoot upon the bar.

leased, the pawl 17 and prevent the upward movementvof vthe lever and consequently cause the draw bar to hold the board in assembled relation with respect to the adjacent board. In' *orderto hold the" tool in stationary position during the clamping operation, I have provided the tool with a bar or lever l8 whichis adapted to engage the floor-or a' base board by exerting a downward pres sure upon the bar preferably by placing the In this instance the shaft 11 extends beyond the surface of the sleeve 2 and is provided with a substantially U-shaped yoke 19, the opposite ends of the yoke being loosely-mounted upon the shaft.

; The yoke is adapted to receive one end of the bar 18, the bar having its lower edge provided at spaced intervals with notches 20', one of which is adapted to receive the shaft extension to hold the bar in assembled position upon the tool. The yoke 19 is preferably of a greater length than the width of the bar whereby the bar may be removed from the influence of the shaft to permit the adjusting of thebar upon the tool as will be understood. The opposite end of the bar 18 is curved downwardly as at 21 and terminates in the enlarged portion 22. The outer side face of the enlarged portion 22 is provided with laterally extending spurs 23,

: while the under side is formed with downwardly extending teeth 24.

From this construction it will be seen that when it is desired to, clamp or lay the boards of a floor adjacent the base board,

1 the tool is arranged as shown in Fig. l, the

bar 18-being adjusted so as to cause its forward end to engage the base board whereby upon placing the foot upon the bar, the teeth 24: will be caused to engage the beam of a floor and thereby hold the tool in stationary position during the clamping operation. In order to prevent the end of the bar from defacing the base board, a suitable piece of wood or other material may be forced upon the spurs 23 thus preventing the end of the bar from engaging the base board. As the tool approaches the base board in the laying of the boards, the bar 18 may be adjusted to the desired length so as to cause its forward end to engage the base board and thus hold the tool in stationary position during the clamping operation.-; The bar 18 may have its upper face roughened as at 25 to provide an effective Copies. of this patent may be obtained for will engage the teeth'IG "gripping surface for the foot and prevent the latter from-accidentally slipping therefrom.

It will thus be seen that I have provided '"""a'novel form of tool for laying the boards in a floor and furthermore have'provided an attachment for the tool whereby the same may be held in stationary position during the laying of boards in any part of the room, whereby the tool may be effectively operated to drawor clamp the boards in their proper position; 7

It is thought that vfrom the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art,.and that minor changes in size,

shape, proportion and minor details of con- 1 struction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. v r

I'Vhat I claim:

1. A tool for laying base, a draw bar slidably mounted in the base, means for movingsaid bar, and a second bar carried by the base and engageable with the floor to hold the base against movement during the clamping operation, said bar being adjustable longitudinally and pivotally mounted upon said base.

2. In combination with a floor laying tool of the type described, a bar having one end floors comprising a 3 thereof pivotally and adjustably mounted on 1;

the tool and extending longitudinally of the same, its free end being curved downwardly and terminating in a head, and spurs formed on two faces of the head.

3. In combination, a floor laying tool, a shaft secured to the tool, a yoke mounted upon the shaft, a bar having one end thereof formed with spaced notches and extending through the yoke, said notches being engageable with said shaft, the opposite ends of ii said bar being curved downwardly and provided with spurs.

4. In combination, a tool for laying floors, and comprising a base, a draw bar slidably mounted in the base, means for moving the bar toward the base, and a bar having one end adjustable longitudinally and pivotally mounted upon the base, its opposite end being disposed in horizontal alinement with said draw bar for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LoxLEY o. CULP.

five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

